24.12.2024
Advent Hope in D&G – Local Church: A New Pioneer Ministry Initiative in Dublin 12
By Shane Maguire and the Revd Rob Jones
Over the past 12 months, Shane Maguire who is the Youth Pastor at St Catherine’s Church (CORE), along with his wife Ruth and their two children have been praying and exploring how they might pioneer a new community of faith in the Dublin 12 area. Over the past number of years as they moved into Crumlin, God has put a passion in their hearts to reach people who have little to no connection to church.
Shane was selected by the Archbishop as a Pioneer Minister in Dublin and Glendalough diocese and began his official Church of Ireland training as a Pioneer Minister in September 2024. This journey of starting something new , began by meeting and praying with Rev Ruth Noble of St Mary’s Church, Crumlin, looking at different ways of how they could partner and work together. Together they agreed to share the use of St Mary’s, and to find ways that Shane could get involved with the parish and reach out to those with little or no connection to church. The new Pioneer Ministry initiative, is officially part of Pioneer Ministry in the Church of Ireland and generously part funded by the Representative Body and is called “Local Church” “For more on Pioneer Ministry in the Church of Ireland , please click HERE )
At the beginning of September 2024, Shane launched a new once a month prayer gathering in the St Mary’s, praying with and for the people of Dublin 12. In October, Shane was invited to speak at St Marys annual Harvest Gathering. This was a lovely way to highlight the work of Pioneer Ministries, for the relationship between St Marys and St Catherine’s to grow, as well as a celebration of Harvest. We also took time as staff in St Catherine’s to spend a morning in Crumlin, learning from Rev. Ruth about the history of the parish, and taking the time to pray together.
Our hope and prayer is to build on the foundational work that Rev Ruth, the Select Vestry and the parish are doing, to reach out to people in the area who have little to no connection to church. We are planning to grow a new community in variety of ways such as opening up our homes and tables, meeting in coffee shops and forming a running club in partnership with a local business.
All of this is made possible through the long history of St Marys, their reputation and the vital place it holds in the community, which has given us an invaluable platform to work from and with.
We’re excited about the future of this new community, as we journey into all God has for us, as well as the life and encouragement it may bring to the parish of St. Mary’s Church.
Please watch this video which explains all about the vision of this exciting new Pioneer Initiative in Dublin 12. https://youtu.be/1LFNasXTe5k?si=jjP3T40NDe12TIfl
Shane’s commissioning will take place on Saturday January 11 at 4pm in St Mary’s Church, Crumlin.